The Washington critic., 1887-01-01
THE LANGLEY BURGLARY.

The large party assembled as usual
at Langley Towers TO celebrate in ap.
proved fashion the approaching first
Of September were all collected one
when the conversation, hitherto rather
languid, chanced to turn on burglary
that had lately taken place in the
neighborhood. Every one at once
seized on the topic, and proceeded to
relate more or less irrelevant, but all
alike ghastly, stories of famous bur
glarles and robberies, till suddenly
Miss Cecil Clifford, cousin of Lady
Langley's, very pretty girl and heiress
10 boot, who had hitherto taken no
part in the talk, looked up suddenly
and said:
II do wish you would not all discuss
such horrors. How do you expect us
to osleep quietly In our beds If you will
insist on retailing such frightful stories,
especially as those wretches who broke
into Colston Park are still at large? |
feel as If / should find burglar iu
my room tonight, so If / should rouse
tnc Housc Win lulse aiuIuh uOu
blame me"
II think l should die If I were to
wake and see one in my room," eX.
claimed little Lady Langley, struggling
her pretty white shoulders In not
wholly affected fright.
"At all events, the man would not
trouble you long enough with his com
pany if that tin case of yours, with
do In, I x-rnr ltyi,, ~,
your dressing table as usual" returned
dered through those diamonds one
day.
"Do you really mean that Lady
Langley keeps her jewelry in her dress
ing table?" asked Captain lie Marchant,
an impecunious young man, who was
suspected, on very good grounds, of
being au mi6uD with the pretty heircss,
and who was, in consequence, rather
out of favor with her guardians.
ITO be sure she does" laughed the
host; "and as Cecil says. know we
shall wake up some fine morning to
find ourselves corpses because Of that
whim of hers"
"W hats the use of having jewelry
If 1t is always to be at the bankers" Z"
retorted Lady Langley.
81 wish to goodness you'd be sem
ible, Flo'," demonstrated her cousin,
"and have 1t kept in the plateroom at
all events, know that shall do moth
ing but dream of your diamonds"
Lady Langley laughed gayly, and
seemed TO take malicious pleasure in
keeping the conversation on the same
subject despite her cousins very evil
dent dislike of 1t, in which she was as.
sisted by Captain lie Marchant, who
chaifed Miss Clifford good deal about
her nerves, until the party separated
for the night.
Next morning the house was in con-
fusion, for the diamonds were gone.
Lady Langley missed them the mo-
ment she rose, for, her maid being far
from well at the time, she had bidden
the girl not sit up for her. and had un
dressed herself, leaving her diamonds,
which she had been wearing, loose on
on her dressing table, where Cecil
Clifford found them when she came to
her cousins room to bid her good.
night, as usual, and she put them In
their case. OF course, every hole and
corner was searched, but in vain. The
police came, but were equally unsuc-
cessful. Not q trace Of either the
thieves or the iewelry was to be found.
The police, including the detective
hastily summoned from London, were
\ positive that the robbery had been
. committed by some one in the house
Y conviction that did not add to the
4 = comfort of the inmates of Langley
l lowers. Suspicion ran riot the house
Vlold servants, one and all, be
! hinged to well known and respectable
yniles in the neighborhood, and had
\ tos,ly been for considerable periods in
y HE Langleys' service, while the visi
yrs' servants, 1t happened, seemed
rally above suspicion, The only
son who ventured to differ from the
Aicals was Captain lie Marchant, who
lIpenly pooh poohed the whole thing
: is simply invented by the police tC
ereen their own incompetency.
Whether from conviction or opposi
lion, Miss Clifford embraced the police
theory, and before long her suspicion
fell on the maid Of one of the visitors
who she felt convinced was at least al
accomplice. Unfortunately for this
. poor girl, Cecil Clifford coulided hei
doubts to her cousin, who in her turr
unconsclously betrayed them to the de
- tective; 80 the unlucky maid was i'm
mediate)y placed under surveillance
that rendered her life q burden to her
and ultimately cost her her situation.
Captain lie MarChant demonstrated
several times on the subject with hi
\ nancee Gor such she really was, though
I the engagement was not officially aC
J knowledged), but without effect. Sh,
somehow seemed to distrust him, o
i,'ate, from some cause or other, his usua
(, l lnny temper had quite deserted him
7 Is tongue had acquired bitterness
aw TO his friends, while his hand
some, merry face had grown TO lool
worn and haggard.
Miss Clifford, though still persisting
in her opinion, bore his structures will
gentle patience, laying the very eyilcn
temper he showed to the account OF
some money troubles that she wei
knew were worrying him, but at las
he went too far, and ere their interyie
on this occasion terminated, the en-
gagement between them was summaril,
broken Off by the lady.
4. Captain lie Alarchant never took an,
steps to bring about reconciliation
which, on her side, Cecil Clifford wa
far loo proud to dream of, though wha
the estrangement cost her only sh,
\ could have told All she knew abou
a him Yves that he had exchanged into
N regiment stationed in India, and beyont
~ nc other fact she heard no more o
-, t;i1 thrnn nr fnnr vaora lotnr III